The other night I participated in an impromptu kayaking trip. By the time we got on the river (Center Creek) it was almost 7:30 so we really had to work to get back home before dark – we just barely made it.

We did the route I loosely refer to as “Upper Center Creek”, from Fir Road back to my house. I like this route because it was the very first route I did in a kayak. It’s about 5 miles and has some nice rapids and passes the old lakeside park. The only part I tend not to like is the Dyno factory, and the pipes of water (?) that drain directly into the creek…which I find fairly disturbing. Each year the river changes a little bit because of floods – sometimes clearing out debris, sometimes creating new obstacles. This year there seemed to be a lot more obstacles than in previous years, but it was fun nonetheless.

We stopped to release a sea turtle that was snagged on someones trot line, so if nothing else we accomplished a good deed.

A couple days ago I started the initial stages of preparing for my next art festival (Cider Days) and in doing so I realized I needed to order more business cards. Since college I I’ve had maybe 5 different hobbies/projects/businesses that required me to order business cards. I always order the smallest quantity possible (250) and not once have I ever needed to re-order. By the time I used even half the box (if even that), I would not longer be involved in said project, so the un-needed cards pile up in the closet as a memorial to all the dead projects of years past.

As lame as it may sound, the fact that I am at a point where I need more cards it exciting to me. I feel like this trivial process makes this particular hobby just a little more legit than previous ventures. Plus, not only am I ordering more, but my first order was twice the quantity of all the abandoned projects of the past.

Friday night was date night. We also decided to perform one of the rights of passage for engaged couples… gift registry. Since we pretty much already have at least two of just about everything, we found it somewhat difficult to fill our list with the quantity of items recommended by the “registry experts”. Mainly I just thought it was fun to walk around and shoot things with the “laser”.

Steph with a micro-pot she found completely irresistible.

As with most things, I do my gift registry gansta’ style. Cause I am so gangsta’ you know.

As Emma would say… “all done!”

I sometimes consult TripAdvisor.com when traveling to get ideas on places to go or stay. Out of curiosity I decided to see what restaurants were tops according to TripAdvisor reviews. One thing to keep in mind is that these are rankings according to people who use the website – so I would guess it’s probably younger and educated people for the most part.

1. Hackett Hot Wings
2. Magic Noodle
3. Pizza by Stout
4. Bella Peppers
5. Red Onion

Really, the only one that surprised me was Magic Noodle. Not because it isn’t great (it is!) but because I can’t recall it ever being even slightly crowded. The other four are obvious favorites of just about everyone I know. It seems like half the people I know would list “Red Onion” as their favorite Joplin eatery. In fact Steph and I are going there tonight!

Another of my favorites that didn’t make the top 5, but was fairly high on the list was Andy + Bridgette’s favorite – UnderCliff. Ichiban Sushi was just shy of the top 5 as well. I was surprised that Big R’s BBQ wasn’t anywhere on the list. That place is great and it’s always packed!

What I found interesting, though not hugely surprising was that one of my long time favorites, Club 609 was way down the list, 2 slots below the Dairy Queen / Orange Julius booth at the mall. The biggest common complaint was that the prices have gone up so much in recent years that they far exceeded the food, service and overall experience. Which I would probably have to agree with.

Overall the list was just a reminder that we have a lot of really great dining options in Joplin.

Yesterday Jason Shelfer and I completed our third TA110 bike ride. While I am not at all worthy of the full 110 mile route, I always feel a sense of accomplishment from doing the 77 mile course. It’s littered with hills and the hot, humid July weather ensures for a miserable experience. Yet I, and about 400 other people from places near and far continue to do this event year after year.

One thing I was proud of this year was that we didn’t get passed by nearly as many people as in years past. While we certainly weren’t leading the pack, we definitely held our own. I completed the route in 5h 35m, which is almost an hour faster than last year and a good 2 hours faster than my first attempt.

Spirits were high and the temps were low at 6:30am!

About 10 miles in…this isn’t so bad! Nice and flat!

This is the point of no return for the 110 mile route. There are always several groups of people stopped here debating which way to go. It is never a debate for me!

After the lunch stop is when things start getting tough.

Here we are near the halfway point of the ride, and the longest hill of the ride. It seems to go on forever. As has been the case in past years, Oklahoma drivers are the worst in terms of bikers. It doesn’t seem to matter how large the vehicle or what they are towing (boats, horse trailers, etc) they don’t slow down or pull into the other lane.

Looking back about 2/3 of the way up the hill. All…most….there…

This stretch along Bethel Road in Newton County is always tough for me. It’s long, has no shade, and the road is horribly rough for road bikes with 120psi tires. At this point I have about 60 miles under my belt and it’s starting to get very hot outside.

The last rest stop is always nice. There are no major hills left and we’re almost done!

Once again, we completed the Tornado Alley bike ride. I felt so miserable it was difficult to muster a smile, but deep down I was glad to have participated!

Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. When I was a kid it was because it was the only time of year when I was seemingly granted a license to play with fire and explosives. Now it’s mainly a time that I enjoy being with friends and family and grilling. And of course fireworks are pretty cool as well.

Here are a few photos from this years excellent Independence Day weekend at the lake.

We started off with a cruise around the lake.

Here is Jimmy doing his impression of GOB Bluth.

We spent a few hours at Silver Dollar City, which was relatively uncrowded.

Here are the girls watching a movie with Nana.

The girls had tons of fun with each other.

Sunday night we went for a cruise around the lake and watched a fireworks show!